instead of

Idioms  

1. Also, in lieu of; in place of; in someone's stead. In substitution for, rather than. For example, She wore a dress instead of slacks, or They had a soprano in lieu of a tenor, or In place of soft drinks they served fruit juice, or The chairman spoke in her stead. Instead of dates from about 1200; in lieu of, which borrows lieu, meaning “place,” from French, dates from the late 1200s; in place of dates from the 1500s; and in someone's stead from the 1200s. Also see under in someone's shoes.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

instead of

Meanwhile, the U.K. recently said it would build vessels designed to act as mother ships to drones instead of replacing its fleet of destroyers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026

“As time passes, investors will need to value the stock based on its multitude of businesses instead of the initial IPO hype,” Mike Dickson, head of research at Horizon Investments, said in emailed comments.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026

It also highlights that "immigration reforms could be scaled back" with up to 1.6 million migrants getting indefinite leave to remain after five years instead of ten.

From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026

The team placed these artificial particles inside specially designed rotating pressure tanks that kept the marine snow suspended instead of allowing it to settle.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 12, 2026

But instead of going to knock on her door, I find myself in the kitchen.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold